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As Jin, the Monkey King, and Danny share their journey and experiences with readers in three different stories, readers find themselves entwined between three different lives, each with a similar problem, resolving them in an almost similar way. With the Monkey King, it’s the story of power, recognition, and sacrifice. As the Monkey king changes his ways from learning from his mistakes, he becomes an example of sacrifice, of how a true leader, saviour, helper, and hero should be like. As for Jin, Wang is a third-grader when he moves to Mayflower Elementary School from his home in San Francisco. Struggling to fit in and make friends, he finds himself in a life he doesn’t really like. When he meets Wei-Chen, a boy who moved to the same school from Taiwan only two months after Jin Wang did, Jin finds his true self with his friendship to Wei-Chen. For Danny, an American-boy, it’s his cousin that truly embarrasses him. With all three stories filled with love, hatred, sacrifice, revenge, and finding ones true form, Yang truly does show the world through new lenses.
- @Bibliomaniac of the Teen Review Board of the Hamilton Public Library

A story told through three interwoven tales about being true to yourself, confronting stereotypes, and feeling like an outsider in your own country. Good for opening a unique window into someone else's life.

​Meet Gene Luen Yang! Mr. Yang will speak about reading without walls and his creative process as a comic artist and writer on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 from 10-11am at Johnson County Community College – Yardley Hall. Then, at the Regnier Center and the Nerman Museum of Art on the campus of Johnson County Community College from 7- 9pm, we'll celebrate with Mr. Yang at the release of the 14th issue of elementia, the teen literary magazine published by Johnson County Library. Yang's books will be available for purchase and signing. All are welcome!

I understand the importance of this book. It was interesting how the stories came together in the end. I like how it was about accepting yourself and your culture. It was also a good insight into the Chinese culture and what it means to integrate yourself into America. I also liked the meta-ness of the whole story.

Summary

This book sums up three different tales together then combines them in one. All of these different tales have problems with either their friends, their race and their faith. With the Monkey King and the rest. Some change characters and speak of legends that tell there faith and they finally find their reall person and become one.

hana_12
Aug 25, 2013

This is a very touching, and funny comic book. It was actually three stories that were being told. One story was about a Chinese boy who moved to a new home which meant that he had to start a new school and make new friends. But that wasn't so easy fro Jin. Since there were barely any Chinese kids at his new school, people made fun of Jin and not a lot of kids wanted to be his friend. Until two months later when an exchanged student from China came to his class. Jin and Wei-Cheng Sun became best friends. But Jin had to make a choice and that was to either change himself for an american girl that he liked or stay the way he is in order to keep being friends with Wei-Cheng Sun. Another story that was being told was about a boy named Danny. He was a very popular kid. But he had a problem. He is related to a Chinese boy named Chin-Kee who happened to be his cousin.Chin-Kee would always come every year to visit for 2 weeks. During those 2 weeks, he would have to go to school with Danny. Danny would be so embarrassed. Another story was of a Monkey Kinf who has lived thousands of years and mastered the arts of kung fu and the heavenly disciplines. But when he attends the party of the immortal god in heaven they told him that there was no space for him. Poor Monkey King.

buklover
Jul 17, 2012

I really enjoyed this book. It was about a boy, Lin struggling to come to terms with his Chinese heritage while growing up as an American teenager. He endures several stereotypes along the way and often feels tossed between the two worlds, ultimately realizing that he needs not reject either of the two.

“So little friend, what do you want to become when you grow up?"-- "...Well.. I. I want to be a TRANSFORMER! A Robot in Disguise like this one. He changes into a truck, see? More than meets the eye! But Ma-ma says that's silly; little boys don't grow up to be Transformers."-- "Oh, I wouldn't know about that. I'm going to let you in on a SECRET, little friend. It's easy to become anything you wish.. as long as you're willing to forfeit your soul.”